Effects of Molar Ratio of Acetylacetone to Aluminum Precursor on the Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Y 3 Al 5 O 12 , YAG ) Formation by a Sol–Gel Process

In this study, effects of the molar ratio of acetylacetone to aluminum precursor on crystallization and morphology of yttrium aluminum garnet ( YAG ) were investigated. YAG nanopowders were synthesized by a sol–gel process incorporating different amounts of acetylacetone as a chelating agent and fuels. The dry gels and powders were characterized using FTIR , SDT , XRD , and FESEM . The results showed the lowest YAG crystallization temperature at 800°C when the ratio of acetylacetone/aluminum precursor was two. This is 150°C lower than that without acetylacetone. The crystallite size of YAG powders was about the same, around 20–30 nm.